We change lives and our community through post-secondary scholarships.

Rockford Promise (RP) is a location-based scholarship program. In partnership with Rock Valley College and Rockford University, RP gives full-tuition scholarships to RPS graduates so they can attend college, and never have to worry about paying for tuition. The goal of Rockford Promise is to make post-secondary education affordable and expected for students in our community. Promise programs – which guarantee funding for every public school graduate in their local community – show positive results:

 Increasing the percentage of low-income students, and students of color, who finish high school, and start and complete post-secondary education;

 Increasing academic performance, especially for students who otherwise might not attend college;

 Reducing discipline issues and improving attendance;

 Increasing property values and the desirability of the location – tuition-free college encourages people choose to live in the community and attend public schools.